Apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabrics



R. COBURN Filed Jan. 24. 1956 July .21, 1959 APPARATUS FOR USE IN TREATING LENGTHS OF TEXTILE names Inventor K ssie;- (bid/9M B f (6" w A ttorneys APPARATUS FOR USE IN TREATING IJENGTHS F TEXTILE FABRICS Robert Coburn, Belfast, Northern Ireland, assignor to Flaxall Products Limited, Belfast, Northern Ireland Application January 24, 1956, Serial No. 561,091

Claims priority, application Great Britain July 5, 1955 3 Claims. (Cl. 2712.2)

This invention relates to apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabric, and methods of passing same through a treating zone.

An object of the invention is to provide such apparatus or method by which the amount of fabric which can be treated in a given space may be greatly increased in relation to known apparatus and methods, and by which the fabric can be passed through the apparatus untensioned or substantially untensioned.

According to the present invention I provide a method of passing lengths of fabric through a fabric treating zone comprising suspending in a series of free loops successive lengths of fabric fed to one end of the zone, moving the looped fabric bodily through said zone and drawing off the fabric loop by loop at the other end of the zone.

Further, according to the present invention we provide apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabric comprising endless conveyor means including an upper horizontal run and means adapted automatically to fold and support at intervals fabric fed to the conveyor so as to form a series of freely suspended loops in the fabric and to carry the fabric bodily so looped to a drawing-off stage.

Still further, according to the present invention we pro vide apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabric comprising endless conveyor means including an upper horizontal run and a series of parallel interspaced conveying elements, the arrangement being such that fabric, fed to the conveyor means from above and to one end of said upper run and drawn off at the other end, is engaged by and folds over each of said elements in turn and is carried from one end of said upper run to the other suspended by said elements in a series of loops extending downwardly between each pair of elements.

Preferably, in order that the number of loops of fabric suspended from said upper run at any given time may be as great as possible, the arrangement is such that said conveying elements are moved closer together during their passage along the upper run.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the apparatus, and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus to an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus is located within a box-shaped chamber 1 containing the treating fluid which may, for example, be steam, and the chamber 1 is made substantially steam-tight sothat a steam pressure may be built up.

The apparatus consists of endless conveyor means formed by two laterally interspaced and parallel endless tracks 2 extending in vertical planes and supported in any convenient manner.

Each track 2 is of channel shape in cross-section, the webs 3 of the tracks 2 being in vertical planes, and the flanges 4 and 5 being directed inwardly at right angles thereto. The tracks 2 have horizontal upper runs, and 21 States Patent 0 Patented July 21, 1959 series of interspaced thin bars 6 of stainless steel extend horizontally between the tracks 2, and the bars 6 are interconnected adjacent their ends by endless bands generally indicated at 7 and each consisting of a series of hinge leaves or links 8 hingedly interconnected at 9 so as to hinge alternately in opposite directions. The bars 6 are secured to alternate links 8, said links being those which hinge upwardly in the upper run as shown in Fig. 2 and as will be later described.

Fabric 10 is fed into the chamber 1 in any convenient manner, and first passes through a treating tank 11 outside the chamber 1. The fabric 10 is drawn through the tank 11 between two rollers 12, 13, passes through a narrow aperture 14 in an end wall of the chamber 1, around guide roller 15 then up and around rollers 16, 17. The roller 16 is driven from roller 12 by a chain and sprocket wheel drive generally indicated at 18, and the rollers 16 and 17 are driven by a similar drive indicated at 18A.

The fabric 10 then passes down through the upper run of the conveyor, and at the other end of the apparatus passes around guide rollers 19, 20, through an aperture in the end wall of the chamber 1 around guide rollers 21 in a bath 21A and then between drawing-off rollers 22, 23, from where it may, for example, pass through a further treating tank or be folded, or otherwise treated.

The rollers 12 and 22 are driven in synchronism by means of a chain and sprocket wheel drive, generally indicated at 24, and the roller 12 may be driven from any suitable power source, the said drives being located outside the chamber 1.

The conveyor is driven around the tracks 2 by means of an eccentric drive which consists of a disc 25 fixed to each end of a shaft 26 driven from the roller 12 by a chain and sprocket wheel drive generally indicated at 27. Each disc 25 has eccentrically and pivotally secured thereto one end of an arm 28 whose other end lies in the path of the bars 6, and the arms 28 reciprocate as the discs 25 revolve, the latter rotating in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 1. A supporting rod 29 Fig. 2 may be provided for the arms 28.

In operation, fabric 10 passing over the guide roller 18 and down towards the upper run of the conveyor is passed between two bars 6 of the latter and down towards, but clear of the lower run and is then looped back upwards and passed between the same two bars and is then passed around rollers 19, 20, 21 and between the drawing-01f rollers 22, 23. The drives with the exception of the drawing-ofi rollers 22, 23 are then started, and the following action occurs. The free ends of the arms 28 driven by the eccentric drives are pushed forward and engage the first bar 6 in the upper run.

This bar 6, as best shown in Fig. 2 lies substantially flat and the arms 28 engage the trailing edge of the bar 6, the stroke being slightly upwards as well as forwards, and as the arms 28 continue their stroke, the bar 6 is pushed along and turned upright on its edge, the links 8 connecting same to the next bar 6 forwardly thereof folding downwardly together, and as the stroke continues all the bars 6 are pushed around the tracks 2 for a short distance. In moving to this position, the bar 6 passes below a pivotal catch 30 on each track 2 andvis held by the catches against backward displacement. Also in moving to this position, the bar 6 engages the incoming fabric causing it to fold back over the bar and loop downwards between same and the following bar which has now become the first bar in the run. The now first bar 6 is then pushed forward as above and this action repeats itself until a series of loops of cloth of substantially equal length are suspended from the bars 6 in the upper run, and, as the first loop approaches the end of the upper run, the drive to the drawing-ofii rollers 22, 23 is started and the fabric is drawn off. The action then continues as above described, except that the drawing-off rollers now remain driven.

From the above, it will be seen that the fabric is automatically folded and looped and carried in freely suspended loops from one end of the upper run tothe other, and each loop is drawn off only when it reaches the end of the run, so that in passing through the apparatus, the fabric is substantially untensioned.

It will also be see that, by virtue of the links 8 being collapsible, and being moved closer together in the upper run, a greatly increased number of loops can be formed at one time in the upper run. There may, for example, be four to six bars per inch each carrying a loop of fabric eight yards long. The length of the loop may of course be varied in accordance with the height of the apparatus.

The inner faces of the conveyor at the bottom and ends may be enclosed by plates, and the downward end run of the conveyor at the drawing-off end, may pass through an open ended tunnel incorporating water or steam jets to clean the bars 6 when required.

The apparatus is completely automatic and, for a conveyor roughly 10 feet long and 12 feet high and having 500 or 600 laths, is capable of treating approximately 200 yards of fabric per minute.

If desired, the movement of the conveyor may be facilitated by mounting the upper runs thereof on freely moving endless belts.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, drives other than those described may be substituted and steam jets may be employed to facilitate or ensure correct folding of certain types of fabric over the bars.

In the drawings, the spacing between the bars 6 in the upper run has been exaggerated for the sake of clarity, and it will be understood that the bars substantially abut one another, and that in Fig. 1, the hinge members 8 have been omitted also for the sake of clarity.

It is also to be understood that the apparatus is not limited to use in steam treating fabric, but may equally well be used for washing or otherwise treating fabric with a liquid.

In the latter case, the fabric when being looped initially may offer some resistance to sinking in the liquid in an upright loop, and in order to ensure that this does not happen, mechanical means may be provided to guide or constrain the fabric to upright loop formation. Such means may, for example, consist at each side of the conveyor, of an endless chain having vertical runs and driven by sprocket wheels and presenting two fingers equi-spaced through the length of the chain, and adapted to engage in turn successive loops of fabric as they are formed and draw or guide them downwards through the liquid and then be withdrawn when a loop of the required length is formed. The fingers may be spring-loaded or otherwise actuated. Alternatively a rotary device having centrifugally operated beaters may be arranged to beat the fabric so that it conforms to the desired loop formation, or water jets may be employed.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabric, the apparatus comprising opposed endless tracks having horizontal upper runs, endless conveyor means that travel round said tracks and include an upper horizontal run and a series of parallel interspaced conveying elements, each element engaging and folding thereover in turn fabric entering the apparatus, and carrying the fabric from one end of said upper run to the other suspended in a series of loops extending downwardly between each pair of elements, the conveying elements consisting of thin flat bars interconnected by bands consisting of an endless series of hinge members which hinge alternatively in opposed directions, and means for pushing the endless conveyor means round said tracks and simultaneously engaging said elements and standing them on edge in said upper run and urging them substantially to abut one another.

2. Apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabric, the apparatus comprising opposed endless tracks having horizontal upper runs, endless conveyor means that travel round said tracks and include an upper horizontal run and a series of parallel interspaced conveying elements, each element engaging and folding thereover in turn fabric entering the apparatus, and carrying the fabric from one end of said upper run to the other suspended in a series of loops extending downwardly between each pair of elements, the conveying elements consisting of thin flat bars interconnected by bands consisting of an endless series of hinge members which hinge alternatively in opposed directions, the bars being secured to every alternate hinge member, and said member being the trailing member of each two members which hinge downwardly in the said upper run, and means for pushing the endless conveyor means round said tracks and simultaneously engaging said elements and standing them on edge in said upper run and urging them substantially to abut one another.

3. Apparatus for use in treating lengths of textile fabric, the apparatus comprising opposed endless tracks having horizontal upper runs, endless conveyor means that travel round said tracks and including an upper horizontal run and a series of parallel interspaced conveying elements, each element engaging and folding thereover in turn the fabric entering the apparatus, and carrying the fabric from one end of said upper run to the other suspended in a series of loops extending downwardly between each pair of elements, the conveying elements consisting of thin flat bars interconnected by bands consisting of an endless series of binge members which hinge alternatively in opposed directions, the bars being secured to every alternate hinge member, and said member being the trailing member of each two members which hinge down wardly in the said upper run, and means for pushing the endless conveyor means round the tracks and simultaneously engaging said elements and standing them on edge in said upper run and urging them substantially to abut one another, said means comprising reciprocating arms which engage each bar as it enters said upper run, turn it on its edge, collapse its hinge members and push it along said upper run to engage and fold the incoming fabric, and push the preceding bars along the upper run for a short distance, and consequently the other bars around the tracks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,631,483 Head June 7, 1927 1,692,129 Lambrette Nov. 20, 1928 1,919,747 Richardson July 25, 1933 2,102,453 Benner et a1. Dec. 14, 1937 2,344,225 Washburn Mar. 14, 1944 2,534,054 Parkes Dec. 12, 1950 

